Oiling Up Life’s Gears

Oiling Up Life’s Gears

Sister Miki Terayama - 1 August 2021

Weekend Devotion: Oiling Up Life's Gears

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These few months, I have started picking up long-boarding just to get myself into a more interesting exercise regime during this COVID season. But as I skate more, I realised my board started to make this creaking sound every time I make turns and it just wasn’t so enjoyable when I take it out for cruising. Then we realised that it was a matter of lubricating the bearings and certain parts with oil, which made a big difference. No more creaking, the wheels moved smoothly and I could cruise longer on each stride. Same thing with our bicycle chains and what nots, right? Now our faith system, works very much like that too. There are so many gears running in our lives. Work, school, tending to our family, friendships, church servings and such. Sometimes, we may be hit by some entanglement of problems like financial issues, sicknesses, relationship tensions, other worldly temptations that jams up those “gears” and affecting other gears as well, because maybe emotionally, mentally, physically or even spiritually, we aren’t feeling right. Over time, when not dealt with, it may even “rust” our faith living. So with that, how do we oil up the gears to prevent that?

 

Knowing The Problematic Part

Now as it is with my creaking longboard, it is important to first identify where the problematic part comes from. It would not help if the problem is with the truck area but you are just lubricating the wheel bearings. It would not help if we are just going to find entertainment and distraction elsewhere when our root issue is still with the emptiness in our hearts. More often than not, the issue with our living system stems not primarily from the problem before us, but the one within us. As Proverbs 27:19 says, “As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.” Like we could be feeling lousy about not living the life or having certain things other people has, but the main issue could be that our heart’s definition of contentment. Or we could be upset about our relationships, but it could be more about some expectations we have for love. That said, we all go through this, even myself, especially when it comes to parenting. We are so quick to nail the problem but less so in identifying the underlying spiritual state in us. So before we go “repairing” what we think is wrong, let us first ask some deeper questions: “How does my spirit move in this situation? Am I seeking convictions from the Lord? How near or far am I from relying on God in this? Am I okay to let go of this or what is holding me back so much?” When we slow down and look within us, we can find more definitive answers than just fighting fire at the wrong places. Like it is said in Lamentations 3:40, “Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.”

 

Oiling Life’s Gears

So once we have figured out the real parts of our lives that are pulling our faith down, we have to “oil” it with a targeted spiritual intervention. Like for myself, I often find that the part of my life that often causes me to waver in faith is with my kids. When they are sick, when they are throwing tantrums, don’t want to shower or pack up their toys, my emotions can get all over the place. So knowing where my gears jam up, help me to be more wary about checking in on my spirit more often in these areas. Like before I prep them for school or on weekend mornings, I will do a prayer, put on some Christian music on the speakers or have my own quiet time before the battle of my heart begins. So brethren, think about these areas or gears in your life that tend to jam up or are getting rusty, and be more intentional about going back to the Word, to God’s counsel, to get back our fixed perspective on how to handle our heart and mind.

So on “oiling” our gears, like I said, it has to be with God’s intervention, and God provides many channels to intervene and aid us through the “repairing” process. Now I know that many of us have our churches taking their messages online or fellowshipping via ZOOM or calls. It would be best for us to be in the presence of God’s church and people. So I would say, continue to be immersed in church living, taking in the weekly sermons and cell-group sharing to see evidences of the Lord’s work on people, other than yourself or your family. That is expanding our spiritual lenses and being more outward-looking, especially during these times where social interactions are greatly cut down.
Then when it comes to our inward spiritual living, we have to continue oiling it with the Word. No surprise there, but this is the most effective, yet hardest one to sustain for many. It requires us to commit our time to the Lord, to the Word, be consistent at it and act on it. But truly, the Word is the best and only way for us to stay vigilant and guarded against this fallen world. It guides us in wisdom and steadfastness to make all choices in our lives. Like how we should cast away certain burdens, how we should love our family, how we cope with difficult people, how we compromise in the right manner and when to speak up in truth. As James 1:22-24 says, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.” So we have to get into the Word, meditate on it and live it out to have this vibrant faith living. How we can do it can take on different forms. These days, I find my night time devotion with my kids really fulfilling as we talk about God’s story, and apply it to the things they share about on friends, loneliness, jealousy and fights. It makes God real for them and not just the God of the bible. Similarly, when we keep reading the Word, internalising it and put it into life application, it doesn’t feel like you have to sustain it, but a blessed rhythm that is integrated into your whole living system.

Brothers and sisters, may we all be more aware of where our gears in life jam up, and start oiling it frequently with the Lord’s truth, so that our faith continues to keep those gears running in the certainty of God’s presence and perfect will. God bless.

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Miki Terayama
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Miki is a full-time ministry staff at The Blessed Run Ministries. She is a sister who shares a natural, God-given affinity with children and youths. She is married to Randy (NET Group Youth Leader) and has two little ones of her own, Liora and Jude. She is involved in the children, youth and social media ministries.

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